Knockout! (3DS)
Knockout!, originally released in North America as Quisp's Knockout!, is a fighting game video game for the 3DS developed and published by Super Jump Punch! Games in 2013. It has consistently been ranked among the best games released for the 3DS platform. Quisp, a Quaker Oats Quisp cereal mascot, makes an appearance as the game's referee in the original version and Mr. V in the later version. Though the Wii-U's playable squirrel didn't have an official name, he was referred to as "Marshal". Other things added to the 3DS version that the Wii-U versions lacked were a rough plot, a background music track played during fights, animated cutscenes and a password system for saving progress. It also featured voice acting by Crystal Franks, as she was credited for providing the voices of the characters, Quisp (later Mr. V), and the announcer. It is a spoof of the Nintendo game titled Punch-Out!!. Gameplay Knockout! features an anthropomorphic squirrel known as Marshal working his way up the professional fighting circuits, facing a series of colorful, fictional creatures, leading to a final fight with Hyper Squirrel. Marshal has a limited repertoire compared to most of his opponents. His punches are limited to left and right jabs, left and right body blows, and a powerful uppercut. The uppercut can only be used once the player earns a star, which is typically accomplished by counter-punching the opponent directly before or after certain attacks are launched. The player can acquire up to three stars. To perform the powerful uppercut the player needs to press the start button once a star is earned. For defensive techniques, Marshal can dodge left or right, duck, and block attacks. Marshal also has a heart meter, which decreases by three upon being struck by an opponent and one upon blocking an attack or an opponent blocking/dodging the player's attack. When the heart meter decreases to zero, Marshal temporarily turns pink and appears exhausted, leaving the player unable to attack, but still able to defend. At this point, Marshal can regain some hearts (and his normal color palette) only by avoiding the opponent's punches. A bout can end by knockout (KO), if a fighter is unable to get up within ten seconds after being knocked down; by technical knockout (TKO), if a fighter is knocked down three times in one round; or by decision, if the bout lasts three full rounds without a clear winner. In order to win by decision, the player must accumulate a high enough point total by punching the opponent and/or knocking him down. However, some bouts cannot be won in this manner and will automatically result in a loss for the player if the opponent is not knocked out. When Marshal loses his first bout to a ranked opponent, he will have a chance to fight a rematch. However if he loses a Title Bout, he will fall one or more places in the rankings. Losing a rematch causes him to fall one place (unless he is already at the bottom of his circuit), forcing him to fight his way back up. A third loss (not necessarily a consecutive one) ends the game. The exception is the final fight against Hyper Squirrel; a loss to him automatically results in a game over. Characters Many of the character sprites in Quisp's Knockout! are each used twice, just changing the head image, colors, and the unique special moves performed. Other versions Gold Version Before the release of Quisp's Knockout! in North America, Super Jump Punch released the game in a gold-colored 3DS cartridge simply titled Knockout! in Japan, without Quisp in it, as a bonus for buying Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. This version's referee was Mr. V, who was also the referee in the Super Knockout! Wii-U game. When Quisp's Knockout! sold well in North America, Nintendo later released the Quisp version in Japan. ''Knockout! After Super Jump Punch's license to use Quisp as a special ''Knockout! referee expired, Super Jump Punch replaced Quisp with a fictional character called Mr. V and re-released the game in North America as simply Knockout! in August. Mega Punch! II Soon after the release of Knockout!, Super Jump Punch began developing an official sequel starring Quisp with manager Tiffany Ward. Originally titled Quisp’s Intergalactic Adventure, the game was supposed to take the series into outer space where Quisp would participate in an intergalactic tournament against various space aliens. The game's production ran into immediate trouble, due to the Quaker Oats company suing it for stealing the character. Franks changed the Quisp character's name to Zach and modified Pally but did little to change Quisp's in-game character sprite. Nintendo saw the game and disliked it, refusing to publish it due to lack of quality. Eventually, Nintendo published the title, and the game was released on the 3DS as Mega Punch! II, despite the fact that it was the first Mega Punch title. Category:Fighting Games Category:Super Jump Punch Games Category:Fan Games Category:Nintendo 3DS Games Category:Games Category:2013 Category:Rated E Games Category:Single Player Games Category:Multiplayer Games